I've been telling JD at C&J Bus Repair I'll have my bus there tomorrow for a week now. I thought I was finally going to have it there tomorrow after getting the coolant refilled.

I bought a little drill pump to pump the coolant in. Dropped it on concrete on way to bus and broke it, so went to buy a new one. Got a page from work and wasted three hours on that. The new pump siezed up after 30 seconds and nearly broke my finger in the process. I resorted to dumping into the surge tank directly, but only 90% of the bottle can be emptied that way. Can't find my long funnel anywhere.

I finally got 12 gallons in and went to start the engine. Damned batteries are dead! My computerized battery charger has never worked so I had been using my father's. I must have given it back since I can't find it. I was 15 minutes too late to run buy a new charger.

Brian you mean all of everybody's days aren't that way? LOL! Hey I mean look at the name I gave my shop! That should be a clus as to what a person who works on anything goes thru day after day! Seriously there will be alot more days like it before yer done but in the end you'll see the reward! My Momma always say's "it's ok son it always gets darker before the storm", well it must be gonna storm soon 'cause it's been get'n dark for years now! Of course I still don't have a clue what getting darker before the storm has to do with anything that can go wrong does go wrong except Murphy must always wear rain slickers! LOL! BK

Just repeat after me-"It's Murphy's Law, It's Murphy's Law". This is the only thing that kept me sane working on my bus. Just stay calm and continue to work through it. Eventually, the bus will be done (or to the point that you can use it). Good Luck, TomC

I can completely relate to that. But, persistence DOES pay off. Just keep pushing forward. I try not to set my expectations too high as far as getting through a project with nothing going wrong. And then just methodically work through things. I have my worst troubles when I try to push a project through quickly, with unrealisitic expectations. Then, the STRESS sets in.

And the good news? Some of my worst days make great campfire stories!!!

That Gol Danged Murphy LIVES at my house! I've been trying to give that sorry sucker a one-way ticket to CA for years.

BK, I can't disagree with your Mom's philosophy but an old seamans' expression (which is true by the way) is that 'it's always darkest before the dawn'...but dawn it will. No force on earth can stop that.

I've muddled around in that before dawn darkness many times but the answer always runs trhough my mind...that time passes and with that passing of time comes the light of day. Oh! What a relief it is!

Brian,I've always been taught to think positively, it could be worse.Working on my bus I've found that when I think positivelyThings usually fo get worse.But I just pick myself up out of the blues, look for a new little project to complete and go on until I can't do that one anymore.Of course, that's why my bus has lot's of half done projects still waiting for completion.And Cat get's on me all the time to get some of them done.

Look at it this way. You did eventualy get antifreeze in the bus,and failing to start probably saved you from having a failure of the neutral safty switch,starting it in gear and crashing through the garage, after it ran over your foot.Seems like a good day to me. Donn

Reminds me of valuable, if sometimes overused phrases: "The hurried-er I go, the behind-er I get."

Got a few expensive reminders to prompt practical forethought!

Sorry 'bout those costs, but other old "saw" are: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" or "Measure twice, cut once"

Not being cute, just a lead-in to my "raison du BB" to prompt guys to consider, plan, see Busn'2007 Arcadia, FL or Busn'USA 2006 in Rickreal OR, then build. In the end result, better, faster, cheaper and (probably) quicker!

I suspect I need new batteries as they don't seem to hold a charge after letting them go completely flat a few weeks ago. Another $400 or more down the tubes.

I suspect you need to figure out what's drawing down the batteries in the first place.

Letting batteries go dead once will not kill them to the point they won't start. It's possible one has a short in it, but it's more likely there's a continuous load on them, even when you think they're disconnected. That would indicate a bad disconnect switch, or more likely, a 12 volt load pulling off the center tap (assuming your bus is 24 volt as I don't recall).

I'd recommend disconnecting the negative cable from both batteries when parked.

I suspect you need to figure out what's drawing down the batteries in the first place.

I now know what drew them down in the first place. Leaving the air locks for the baggage doors in the unlocked position leaves some selenoids drawing power. As soon as the battery disconnect is turned off, the air locks will go back to being locked.

I think starting the engine and only running it a few minutes may be drawing the batteries down enough so eventually it won't start.

I'll check for loads if taking the bus for a good drive doesn't help. The bus sat for several weeks when I first got it and it still started fine. The battery problems only started after I left the disconnect on for a week.

I feel much better now, I though I was the only one to have so much luck, hang in there, there's got to be A light at the end of the tunnel,but sometimes it seem's like A long tunnel. pete

Logged

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a good Reisling in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming: WOO HOO, what a ride